Larry Shenk, Vice President of Alumni Relations, shares his notes, quotes and anecdotes from the world of baseball.

Who’s On 3rd?

Mother Nature stopped the pennant and wildcard races in New York and Washington on Tuesday. For the Phillies, it means Cole will pitch on Wednesday night and Cloyd will start the rescheduled game on Thursday night.

Phillies then head home for the final six regular season games at Citizens Bank Park. It starts on Friday night against the Braves and ends on September 27 against the Nationals.

Who’s On Third?

Abbott and Costello did a comedy routine a long time ago, Who’s On First? For the Phillies we know Howard is there and will be for a few more years.

But, third base is up in the air.

Fransden has done a nice job and gets consideration for next season. Polly’s battled injuries and may become a free agent. Cody Asche may be the long-term answer but he probably needs more development time in the minors. Freddy Galvis?

Then, there’s Chase, whose current contract expires after the 2013 season. He played third at Scranton 10 years ago and struggled, although he did improve as the season progressed (14 errors in first 25 games; five in last 41).

The free agent market on third basemen is pretty thin. Here’s a list that is posted on MLBTradeRumors.com: (player age). Some have club options and thus may not become a free agents.

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